Vancouver, BC—As major players in the automotive industry, Canadian auto dealers have the power to influence driver behaviour and combat a leading cause of vehicle collisions – distracted driving – and there’s no better time than now to join in on the nation-wide campaign.
Auto Dealers Against Distracted Driving is calling on dealers across Canada to commit to making roads safer by participating in a campaign geared at educating consumers on the dangerous behaviour. With a simple online registration, dealers are making a clear statement: we are not okay with distracted driving.
Research shows that 80% of collisions are caused by some form of distracted driving and that you are 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision if texting. It’s a growing problem with wide-scale impact, but dealers can play a direct role in the solution.
Last year’s inaugural campaign was a huge success. With more than 430 dealerships across the country registered for the campaign, nearly 3,000 pledges were made against distracted driving by customers at participating dealerships. On our way to reaching 700 registered dealers by campaign launch, March 1, 200 dealers have already come on board leading up to the month-long awareness event.
“As the first point-of-contact with customers, dealers play a crucial role in encouraging positive driver behaviours like using hands-free technology or pulling off to the side of the road before you send a text,” says Shelley Hendy, dealer development manager for the Lower Mainland region at LGM Financial Services Inc. “We were so thrilled with the level of dealership engagement we saw last year, and we want to build on that success for 2016 and increase the number of participating dealers from 433 to at least 700.”
LGM Financial Services Inc. created the campaign as a means for Canadian dealers to connect with their customers and communities. They will be providing ongoing support and point-of-sale resources in order to generate campaign buzz within dealerships from March 1 – 31, 2016.
Registered dealerships will receive a campaign kit, free-of-charge, with materials designed to help start the important conversation with consumers and help raise local awareness. Kits include a campaign-branded poster, key tags, pens and mirror danglers. Each dealer will also be assigned an LGM Ambassador, a go-to company representative who will provide support and guidance throughout the campaign, as required.
“The touchstone of this campaign is really that dealers are banding together from across the country, even joining their competitors, to curb a problem that affects everyone coast-to-coast,” says Marc-Andre Lefebvre, vice president of sales for the Quebec region at LGM. “Dealers are given the creative control to reach out to their own communities, craft their own messaging and decide how they want to educate consumers about safe driving before they drive off the lot in their vehicle.”
Join the fight against distracted driving this spring by registering to participate in Auto Dealers Against Distracted Driving at www.distractionfree.ca or contact a dealer development manager for your region at LGM. Follow the national campaign on Twitter (@LGMCanada).
Media contact:
Amanda Brkich
Manager, Marketing & Communications
LGM Financial Services
E: Amanda.Brkich@LGM.ca
P: 604.676.3881
ABOUT LGM FINANCIAL SERVICES INC.
Since 1998, LGM Financial Services Inc. has been a leader in Canada’s automotive industry by supplying branded warranty, insurance and finance products to distinguished automotive manufacturers across the country. Driven by innovation and service excellence, LGM is focused on maximizing dealership performance and customer satisfaction through quality products that are backed by an elite F&I sales training program, a consultative sales approach, and a comprehensive service and support network. LGM is recognized by Aon Hewitt as a 2016 Platinum Level Aon Best Small and Medium Employer in Canada, is among Canada’s Best Workplaces by the Great Place to Work® Institute for eight consecutive years and has been repeatedly honoured by PROFIT 500 as one of Canada’s Fastest-Growing companies. Read more at LGM.ca
